Business name search: how to check if a name is available

How do you search your state's business names?

Use your state's official business search, usually run by the Secretary of State. It lists LLC and corporation names, and most states won't register a name that's already there. Pick your state below; its official search opens in a new tab.

Name available in your state? Check the .com, handles and US trademarks next.

Where to file a DBA, in the states where we confirmed it on the state's own pages:

In other states, ask the state's business office where DBAs are filed. To check a DBA, search where it's filed. Georgia says to search county trade name records first, and Delaware's statewide DBA registry (opens in a new tab) is searchable online.^{[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, secondary]}

Does registering your business name protect it?

Only in your state, and only as a business name. The SBA says an entity name protects you at the state level, while a trademark protects you nationally.

A DBA gives no legal protection by itself. The USPTO says a trade name registration lets you do business in a state but doesn't create a registered trademark. Using the name for your goods or services may make it a trademark too.

Texas, for example, says forming an entity doesn't authorize a name that violates someone else's rights. Businesses in every state can face trademark infringement lawsuits, so the SBA says to check the USPTO's database. Check US trademarks with our checker. It finds live marks with the same name, not similar ones.^{[2, 11, 18, 19]}

What's the difference between an LLC name and a DBA?

An LLC's name is how the state identifies your business; a DBA ("doing business as") lets you trade under a different name. Florida calls a DBA a fictitious name, and New York calls it an assumed name.

Some business structures must use a DBA. Trademark infringement law still applies to a DBA, even one that other businesses share.^{[2, 8, 16]}

How do you register a business name with your state?

You register an LLC or corporation name when you file its formation papers with the state. A DBA is a separate filing with the state, a county or a city.

New Jersey, for example, reserves your name when you submit your formation documents. California and Texas also let you reserve a name before you form. Texas gives a preliminary answer on a name by phone or email. The SBA's state registration lookup (opens in a new tab) lists where to register in each state.^{[2, 3, 4, 5, 11, secondary]}

What else should you check before you pick the name?

Check the .com and other domain endings, your social handles and US trademarks. The SBA says your entity name, DBA, trademark and domain are legally independent registrations.

So a state approval doesn't mean the .com or the handles are available. And the USPTO says registering a domain gives you no trademark rights.

The checker below looks at the .com, Instagram, X, Facebook and US trademarks in one search. Still choosing? The business name generator suggests names you can check in one click. Thinking about a trademark? Read how to trademark a name before you launch.^{[2, 18]}